Apparatus handling methods



May 21, 1963 J. BUDD APPARATUS HANDLING METHODS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed May 17. 1954 "AW w r I 9/ a! 7 J EH/UF y 1963 L. J. BUDD3,090,177

APPARATUS HANDLING METHODS Original Filed May 17, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2fiYVEJTfUF A 0/77 (T541 dd &7% ig/g5.

United States Patent 3,990,177 APPARATUS HANDLING METHOB Larry J. Budd,Chicago, Ill., assignor to Pallet Devices, Inc., Des Plaines, 111., acorporation of llinois Original application May 17, 1954, Ser. No.430,382, new

Patent No. 2,888,222, dated May 26, 1959. Divided and this applicationMar. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 797,936

3 Claims. (Cl. 53-196) This invention relates to apparatus handlingmethods and more particularly to methods by which apparatus may bereadily and safely handled, assembled and protected for transport.

The present application is a division of my US. patent entitledApparatus Handling Means, filed May 17, 1954, No. 2,888,222.

In an exemplary application of this invention, a television receivercabinet, after manufacture thereof is completed and preferably beforetransportation thereof, has installed on the underside of the bottomWall thereof an expendable palletized support structure. The cabinet isthen transported to an assembly point which is, of course, readilyaccomplished by virtue of the palletized support of the cabinet. At theassembly point, the television receiver chassis and associated apparatusare installed in the cabinet. The cabinet may then be readilytransported to final checking points, if desired, and thence to a secondassembly point. At this point, the cabinet together with the receivertherewithin and the palletized support structure secured thereto isinstalled in a suitable container for shipment. When the containerarrives at the place of business of the dealer or distributor, thecabinet together with the receiver and palletized support structure maybe removed from the container and the palletized support structure againimproves handling of the assembly and need not be removed until thereceiver reaches its ultimate destination.

It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art thatinstallation of the palletized support structure on the cabinet prior totransportation of the cabinet to the point where the receiver apparatusis installed therewithin will greatly facilitate handling of thecabinet. It will also be appreciated that the palletized supportstructure will also greatly facilitate handling of the receiver from thepoint where the receiver apparatus is installed therewithin to the pointwhere the cabinet together with the receiver is installed in acontainer. It will be further appreciated that the palletized structureprovides added protection for the receiver and cabinet while beingtransported within the container and, of course, it also faciiltateshandling of the receiver and cabinet by the dealer or distributor.

A specific feature of the invention relates to the manner of securingthe palletized support structure to the underside of the cabinet bottom.According to this feature, the cabinet may be of a type having bumperssecured by headed fastening means, such as screws, to the underside ofthe bottom thereof, such bumpers being ordinarily formed of a rubber orsimilar resilient or elastomeric material. Holes may be cut in thepalletized support structure in the same pacing and relation as thebumpers and, after the support structure is disposed against theunderside of the cabinet bottom, the bumpers may be disposed against theunderside of the palletized support structure in alignment with theholes therein after which the headed fastening means may be extendedthrough the bumpers and through the holes to secure both the bumpers andthe palletized support structure against the bottom of the cabinet. Thefastening means thus performs a dual function and separate means forsecuring the palletized support to the cabinet bottom are not required.

In accordance with another specific feature of the in- 3,090,177Patented May 21, 1963 vention, the receiver may be secured on the bottomof the cabinet by fastening means such as screws extending upwardlythrough holes in the cabinet bottom and before installation of thepalletized support base on the cabinet bottom, holes may be cut in thebase in the same spacing and relation as such fastening means so thatafter the palletized support structure or base is installed on thecabinet bottom and after the cabinet is transported to the assemblypoint, the receiver may be readily installed in the cabinet withoutnecessitating removal of the palletized support structure.

An important feature of the invention resides in the construction of thepalletized support structure. According to this feature, the palletizedsupport structure may be formed by folding under opposite edge portionsof a sheet of relatively rigid form-sustaining material to dormtube-like supports along such edges. After the structure is installed onthe cabinet bottom, the cabinet may then be readily and safely handledby engaging under the portion of the structure intermediate thetube-like supports. The tube-like supports also perform an importantfunction when the cabinet is installed in a container for shipment sincethe tube-like supports may then transmit the Weight of the cabinet andreceiver to portions of the bot. tom of the container adjacent the sidesthereof, such portions of the bottom being most securely supported fromthe container side walls.

The tube-like supports may preferably be formed by scoring the sheet ofrelatively rigid form-sustaining material along score lines including afirst score line spaced a first predetermined distance from one end ofthe sheet to define a first section, a second score line spaced atsecond predetermined distance from the first score line to define asecond section, a third score line spaced from the second score line adistance slightly greater than said first predetermined distance todefine a third section and a fourth score line spaced from the thirdscore line a distance slightly greater than said second predetermineddistance to define a fourth section. The sheet-may then be bent at thescore lines to dispose the first section against the portion of thesheet adjacent the fourth score line with the third section parallel tothe first section and with the second and fourth sections normal to thefirst and third sections. Preferably, the first section may beadhesively secured to the portion of the sheet against which it isengaged.

It has been found that by this method, the tubular support means may bereadily provided. Further, the support ineans so formed are superior toany other known manner of construction of the same, for the purposes ofthe instant invention.

According to a still further specific feature of the invention, plugsmay be so disposed in the tube-like supports in positions transverse tothe direction thereof so as to greatly strengthen and rigidify the same.The plugs may also serve as a means for transmitting the weight of thecabinet directly to a support surface.

Further, in accordance with another specific feature of the invention,the plugs may have an inverted cup-like configuration and may have atube-like portion to receive one of the bumpers previously referred toand an upper Wall apertured for passage of fastening means therethrough,the fastening means as previously indicated being arranged to secureboth the bumpers and the palletized support structure to the undersideof the cabinet.

Most preferably, the inverted cupshaped plugs may have lower outwardlyprojecting annular rimsfor limiting upward movement thereof and forobtaining a broader area for engagement with the supporting surface.

An object of this invention, accordingly, is to provide improvedapparatus handling methods.

, lines rvrv of FIGURE receiver and support structure container whichmay house Another object of this invention is to provide an improvedmethod of handling assemblies wherein apparatus is installed within thehousing in which a palletized support structure is secured to thehousing prior to transportation of the housing to a point where theapparatus is installed therein.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved methodof construction of palletized support structure.

This invention contemplates other objects, features and advantages whichwill become more fully apparent from the following'detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate apreferred embodiment and in which:

FIGUREl is aview illustrating a blank from which a support structure orpallet may be formed, in accordance with the principles of thisinvention;

FIGURE 2 isa sectional viewttaken substantially along lines II-IlofFIGURE 4 and illustrating a bottom plan view of the support structurefor the television receiver;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along lines III-III ofFIGURE 2;

FIGUREA is a sectional view taken substantially along 5 and showing thetelevision therefor in rear elevation;

and

FIGURE 5 'isa perspective view of-acontainer having a televisionreceiver packed therewithin for shipment, in accordancewiththeprinciples of this invention.

Reference numeral generally designates a shipping a television receiver11. The container 10; may comprise a front wall 12, a rear wall 13, sidewalls 14 and 15,- a top defined by a first pair of flaps 16 and *1!extending inwardly from the top edges of the sidewalls 14- and 15,respectively and a second pair of flaps I18, and 19'extending inwardlyover the flaps 16 and 17 from the, top edges of the front wall 12 andthe rear wall 13, respectively, Hand. 21 extending inwardly from thelower edges of the sidewalls-l4 and 15, respectively and flaps 22extending inwardly from ,thelower edges of the front and rear walls12and '13'under the flaps 20, and 21.

The television receiver 11 may comprise a cabinet generally designatedby reference numeral 23 which may comprise a front wall 24, a top wall25, a bottom wall 26, side walls 27'and 2'8 and a removable rear wall29. Re-

- ceiver apparatus is installed within the cabinet 23 which may includeachassis'30disposed on the upper surface of the cabinet bottom wall 26.

The receiver 11 may be supported within the container 10 bymeansinclnding a palletized structure generally designated. by referencenumeral 31 which may comprise a section v32 underlyingthe cabinet bottomwall 26 and generally tubular support structures or pads 33 and 34underlying and supporting opposite edge portions of the section 32. Aswill be apparent from the foregoing preliminary discussion, thepalletized support structure 31 and themanner of utilizing the sameis'the gist of the present invention.

Before proceedingvwith'a detailed description of the palletized' supportstructure '31" and the manner of constructing and utilizing the same, itmay be noted that a top support structure 35 may be disposed over thetop wall of the cabinet 23': and may have generally tubular spacer means36 and 3'Tidepending from the opposite side edges thereof to engagebetween the side walls 27 and 28 ofthe cabinet 23 and'the side walls 14and of the container '10. The structure 35*and the manner ofconstructing the same forms an important feature of my US. patententitled Means for Supporting Apparatus for Shipment, filed May 17,1954, US Patent No. 2,895,661.

It is believed that the manner of construction and utilization of thepalletized support structure 31 will be best understood from astep-by-step description of the con and a bottom defined by flaps;

struction and utilization thereof. Reference is therefore made to FIGURE1 which illustrates a blank 38 from which the support structure 31 isformed.

The blank 38 may, as shown, be of generally rectangular shape and may beof any relatively rigid form-sustaining sheet material and preferably ofan inexpensive eX- pendable material such as paperboard, fiberboardorthe like.

To form tthe tube-like supports or legs or cushioning pads *33 and 34-,opposite edge portions of the blank 38 may be folded under by makingbends at score lines which may be scored by marking the blank orpreferably by actual indentation of the blank, especially when the blankis of paperboardor a like material, but it will be appreciatedthatmarking or indentation is not necessarily required and the terms scoringand score line are therefore used in a figurative sense to indicate theposition of the bends.

In particular, score lines 39 and 40 may be located parallelto and atfirst predetermined distances from opposite edges 41 and 42 of the blank38, score lines 43 and 44 may be located parallel to and at secondpredetermined distances inwardly from the score lines 39 and 40, scorelines 45 and 46 may be located parallel to and spaced inwardly from thescore lines 43 and 44 at distances slightly greater (by about thethickness of the sheet material) than the aforesaid first predetermineddistances, and score 1ines47 and 48 may be located parallel to andspaced inwardly from the score lines 45 and 46 by distances slightlygreater (by about the thickness of the sheet material) than theaforesaid second predetermined distances.

The score lines 39 and 40 together With the edges 41 and 4 20f the blank38 maybe considered as forming first sections 49 and 50, the score lines39 and 40 together With the score lines 43 and 44- may be considered asforming second sections 51 and 52, the score lines 43 and 44 togetherwith the score lines 45 and 46 may be considered as defining thirdsections 53 and 54, the.Sc0re lines 45 and 46 together with thescorelines 47 and 48 may be considered as defining fourth sections 55and S6, and the score lines 47 and 48 may be considered as defining thesection 32 which, as pointed out above, engages the underside ofthecabinet bottom wall 26.

The blank may be bent at the score lines 39, 40 and 43-48 so that thefourth sections 55 and 56 extend downwardly at right angles to thesection 32 with the third sections 53 and 54 extending inwardly inparallel relation to the, section 32 and .with the second sections 51and 52 extending upwardly to the underside of the section 32 in parallelrelation to the fourth sections 55 and 56, as shown in FIGURE 4.

The first sections 49 and 50 may extend inwardly from the upper edges ofthe sections 51 and 52 (at score lines 39 and 40) but much greaterrigidity is obtained by extending the sections 49 and 50 outwardlytoward the sections 55 and 56. Most preferably, the terminal edges ofthe first sections 49 and 50, that is, edges 41 and 42 of the blank 38,are in firm engagement with the sections 55 and 56 adjacent the bendsbetween such sections 55 and 56 and the section 32. With thisarrangement, maximum strength and rigidity is obtained and yet thesupports 33 and 34 are readily formed.

The sections 49-56 may be'secured in the positions as illustrated inFIGURE 4 by securing the first sections 49 and 50 to the section 32,preferably by adhesive engagement between the upper surfaces of thesections 49 and 50 and the lower surface portions of the section 32 infacing relation thereto. This may be accomplished by applying glue tothe surfaces of the sections 49 and 50 and/or such facing surfaceportions of the section 32 before the sections are in the positions asillustrated in FIGURE 4.

After the sections 49-56 are in the positions as illustrated in FIGURE4, brace members 57 and 58 may be inserted in the tube-like supportsdefined thereby. Such brace members may be of sheet material such aspaperboard bent into a Z-like configuration with the intermediatediagonal portion of brace member 57 extending between the junctionbetween sections 53 and 55 (at score line 45) and the junction betweensections 49 and 51 (at score line 39) and with the intermediate diagonalportion of member 58 extending between the junction between sections 54and 56 (at score line 46) and the junction between sections 50- and 52(at score line 40). It has been found that with this specificarrangement, maximum strength and rigidity of the supports 33 and 34 isachieved.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of one or more plugsin each of the depending support means for rigidifying the same.According to this feature, a pair of plugs 59 and 69 are disposed in thetube-like support structure 33 and a pair of plugs 61 and 62 aredisposed in the tube-like support structure 34. To receive the plugs59-62, openings may be cut in the supports 33 and 34 and the section 32after the supports 33 and 34 are formed. Preferably, however, suitableholes are cut in the blank 38 prior to formation of the supports 33 and34.

In particular, a hole 63 is cut in the section 4-9, a hole 64 is cut inthe section 53 and a hole 65 is cut in the section 32, the holes 63, 64and 65 being aligned when the sections 49, 51, 53 and 55 are bent toform the support 33. The plug 59 may then be inserted therethrough torigidify the support 33. The aligned holes 63, 64 and 65 comprise asocket through Which a fastener is adapted to be disposed as willhereafter further be described. The plug 59 is inserted into the socketto reinforce the socket as well as the cushioning pad in which thesocket is disposed.

Similarly, holes 66, 67 and 68 are cut in the sections 49, 53 and 32,respectively, to receive the plug 60*, holes 69, 70 and 71 are cut inthe sections 59, 54 and 32, respectively, to receive the plug 61, andholes 72, 73 and 74 are cut in the sections 50, 54 and 32 to receive theplug 62.

As discussed heretofore, a further feature of the invention is in theuse of bumpers together with fastening means used to secure such bumpersthrough the underside of the cabinet to secure the palletized supportstructure 31 to the bottom Wall 26 of the cabinet.

In accordance with this feature, the plugs 59-62 may be so formed as toreceive such bumpers. In particularly, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, theplug 59 may have an inverted cup-like configuration with a tube-likeportion 75 arranged to receive a bumper 76 which, as is conventional,may be of a resilient or elastomeric material such as rubber or plastic.Such bumpers are, of course, provided to prevent marring of the floor ortable on which the cabinet is placed. To secure the bumper 76 to thebottom Wall 26 of the cabinet 23, a headed fastening member such as awood screw 77 may extend through a central opening in the bumper 76.

The screw 77 may also serve to fasten the palletized support base 31 tothe cabinet 23 and for this purpose, the plug 59 may have an upper wall78 having an opening therein of sufiicient diameter for passage of theshank of screw 77 therethrough, but small enough to prevent passage ofthe bumper 76 therethrough. The upper surface of the top wall 78- of theplug 59 may preferably be on the level with the upper surface of thesection 32.

In accordance with a further specific feature of the invention, the plug59 may have an integral outwardly projecting annular flange or rimportion 79 at its lower end arranged to engage the lower surface of thesupport 33 about the openings therein, that is, the surface of section53 about the opening 64.

The plugs 60, 61 and 62 may preferably be of a form similar to the plug59 to receive bumpers 139, '31 and 82, respectively.

According to a further feature of the invention, provision is made forsecuring the receiver chassis -30 on the bottom wall 26 of the cabinet23 after the palletized support structure 31 is secured to the undersideof the bottom wall 26. In particular, the receiver chassis 39 may be l10, the

rigidly secured to the cabinet bottom wall 26 by headed fastening meanssuch as screws 83, 84, 8 5 and '86, which screws extend upwardly throughthe bottom wall 26 and are threaded into the chassis 30, as isillustrated in connection with the screw 83 in FIGURE 3. If desired, andpreferably, washers 87, 88, 89 and 90 may be disposed between the headsof the screws 83-86 and the bottom surface of the bottom wall 26 aboutthe screw holes therein.

To permit ready attachment of the chassis to the bottom wall 26 afterthe pailetized support structure 3 1 is attached to the bottom wall 26,section 32 may be preformed with holes 91, 9'2, 93 and '94 having thesame spacing and relation as the holes in the cabinet bottom Wall 26receiving the fastening means 83, 84, 8-5 and 86, respectively. Theholes '91, 92, 93 and 94 may preferably be considerably larger than theheads of the fastening means 83-86 and Washers 87-90, if used, and maybe 'generally square as illustrated for most ready formation thereof.The holes 91-94 may, of course, be cut at the same time that the holes63-74 are cut.

To summarize, the blank 38 may be scored with the score lines 39, 40 and43-48 as illustrated in FIGURE 1 and at the same time, the circularholes 63-74 may be cut and also the square holes 91-94. The sections49-56 may then be folded under the opposite sides of the section 32 tothe positions illustrated in FIGURE 4 and the sect-ions 49 and 56 may beadhesively secured to the facing underside portions .of the section 32.The plugs 59-62 may then be [inserted in the aligned openings in thesupports 33 and 34 and section .32. Brace members 57 and 58 maythereafter be inserted in the tube-like supports 33 and 34.

The palletized support structure 31 may then be disposed against theunderside of the cabinet bottom wall 26 after which the bumpers 76, 80,8 1 and '82 may be inserted in the plugs 59, 60, 61 and 62,respectively, and the fastening means 77 may then be used to secure thebumpers together with the palletized support structure 6 1 to theunderside of the cabinet bottom '26.

The cabinet 23 may then be transported to an assembly point. Thistransportation may most readily be accomplished by inserting lifting andcarrying means be tween the support structure 33 and 34.

When the cabinet reaches the assembly point, the receiver apparatusincluding the chassis 30 may be installed in the cabinet 23 and securelyfastened therein by means of the fastening means 83-86. Thereafter, theback 29 may be secured on the cabinet 23 and, if desired, final testingand checking operations may be performed on the receiver 11. Thereceiver 11, including the cabinet 23, the receiver apparatus and thepalletized support structure 31 may then be transported to a secondassem bly point, again by inserting lifting and support means betweenthe support structures 33 and 34, if desired.

When this second assembly point is reached, the cabinet 11 together withthe receiver apparatus and palletized support structure 31 may bedisposed within the container top structure 35' may be disposed over thetop of the cabinet 23 and the flaps 16-19 of the container top may beclosed.

It may be noted, at this point, that ports 33 and 34 engage portions ofthe adjacent the side walls 14 and '15 to transmit the weight of thereceiver 11 to such portions, which portions, of course, are mostsecurely supported from the side walls 14 and 15.

After the container 10 with the received 111 therewithin reaches thedealer or distributor, the palletized support structure 31 may then bereadily used in transporting the receiver 11 to its ultimate destinationand need be removed only after such ultimate destination is reached. Thepalletized support structure 3 1 is, of course, very inexpensivelyconstructed and can be thrown away.

It may be noted that the palletized support structure 3-1 may act in anyposition and terms such as upper,

the tube-like supcontainer bottom lowerand the like are therefore usedherein'only for the purpose of conciseness and clarity of descriptionand reference and are not-to be construed as limitations.

It 'willb'e further understood that modifications and variations may beeflected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel,concepts of the present invention.

=I cl=aim.as my invention:

1. The method of supporting an article, the steps of scoring the marginsof a fiberboard sheet and cutting holes at spaced intervals in themargins, folding the margins at thescore lines providing hollowtube-like legs at the margins on one side of the sheet forming anarticle support, reinforcing the hollow legs at the area of the holes byinserting reinforcing cups in-said holes, engaging an article to besupported over the article support, and inserting fasteners verticallyofthe article support disposing ends of the fasteners in opens-ends of thecups and securing opposite ends of the fasteners in the article therebyattaching the article support-to the article.

2. Themethod ofclairn' '1 further characterized by extending ends of thefasteners to be secured to the article initially through resilientbumpers in the cups While, leaving opposite ends of the fastenersengaged with the bumpers to cushion the, engagement between the tubesand the article to be supported.

3. The method of supporting an article having an article :basecomprising forming a paperboard 'blank, scoring opposite margins of saidblank with a series of score lines and cutting spaced holes in saidmargins, folding under said *blank along first score lines to provide apair of sections integral with and projecting transversely generally atright angles from the first score lines which comprises opposite edgesof said article-engaging blank surface, folding along second score linesto provide a second pair of sections extending inwardly toward thirdlines in the same plane as second score lines, folding along third scorelines and forming a third pair of sections parallel to said first pairof sections extending to fourth lines adjacent said article-engagingsurface, and forming a fourth pair of sections extending from saidfourth lines along said article-engaging sections and having terminaledges confronting said first pair of sections, securing the facingsurfaces of said fourth pair of sections and said article-engagingsections together thereby forming hollow tubes on one side of saidblank, securing inverted reinforcing cups in the holes causing the cupsto be lodged inside the hollow tubes, and disposing ends of fasteners inthe cups while extending opposite ends of the fasteners through the cupssecuring the cups, tubes and the article base in assembly together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,150,384 MacLagan Mar. 14, 1939 2,299,121 Amsden Oct. 20, 19422,458,695 Edelston Jan. 11, 1949 2,521,502 Byers Sept. 5, 1950 2,570,757Bowman Oct. 9, 1951 2,709,012 Lessard May 24, 1955 2,730,287 MuellerJan. 10, 1956 2,779,463 Zimmerrnm Jan. 29, 1957 2,818,972 Claus Jan. 7,1958 2,856,826 Norquist et al. Oct. 21, 1958 2,931,275 Van AntwerpenApr. 5, 1960

1. THE METHOD OF SUPPORTING AN ARTICLE, THE STEPS OF SCORING THE MARGINSOF A FIBERBOARD SHEET AND CUTTING HOLES AT SPACED INTERVALS IN THEMARGINS, FOLDING THE MARGINS AT THE SCORE LINES PROVIDING HOLLOWTUBE-LIKE LEGS AT THE MARGINS ON ONE SIDE OF THE SHEET FORMING ANARTICLE SUPPORT, REINFORCING THE HOLLOW LEGS AT THE AREA OF THE HOLES BYINSERTING REINFORCING CUPS IN SAID HOLES, ENGAGING AN ARTICLE TO BESUPPORTED OVER THE ARTICLE SUPPORT, AND INSERTING FASTENERS VERTICALLYOF THE ARTICLE SUPPORT DISPOSING ENDS OF THE FASTENERS IN OPENS ENDS OFTHE CUPS AND SECURING OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE FASTENERS IN THE ARTICLETHEREBY ATTACHING THE ARTICLE SUPPORT TO THE ARTICLE.